She's had a turbulent year – from her This Morning co-star Phillip Schofield's dramatic resignation to her own just a few months later. And now sources say Holly Willoughby has essentially disappeared from the public eye since stepping out of the spotlight in October.
But insiders say that Holly, 42, could be set for a dramatic TV return, despite feeling torn over her future.
They tell Closer, "The last few months have been tough for Holly, but totally needed. This year has been really traumatic, and so stepping away from everything to focus on her family has been incredibly cathartic for her.
"But while her family will always come first in every sense, Holly adored her job and really misses it. She's love. this time next year, to be back on screen thriving again. Never in a million years did she think she'd be debating her future as a presenter. The last few weeks she's been feeling torn and worries that if she leaves it too long, she might not have a career to come back to, so she's thinking about her next steps."
This time last year, the presenter was gearing up to host the 15th series of Dancing on Ice with her former BFF Phillip, 61, after a successful year on This Morning.
Holly stepped down from TV appearances in October. It followed the breakdown of her friendship with Phillip and his "unwise but not illegal affair" with a younger male colleague was exposed, resulting in him leaving the show and an internal investigation being carried out.
In her official statement on 10 October, Holly – who has been married to husband Dan Baldwin for 16 years and has three children, Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, nine, with him – made it clear that she was putting her family first.
She said, "It's been an honour to just be a part of [This Morning's] story and I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family."
Since then, the former TV darling has disappeared not only from the screen but also from social media – not posting since her statement – and had reportedly been living a more reclusive life, leading to concerned comments from fans.
One source says, "The outpouring of love and support that she's received over the last couple of months has been incredibly touching and it's given Holly a huge boost which was desperately needed after the turbulent time she's had. And while she's still anxious about her return, that positivity has given her a confidence boost and made her think about getting back on screen.
"She's very aware that unless she takes the plunge soon, she could lose everything she's worked so hard for over the years."
In the meantime, Holly's return to Dancing On Ice in early January is till unconfirmed – despite producers reportedly eyeing up her pal Stephen Mulhern, 46, for Phillip's role – and now insiders suggest that the Wylde Moon lifestyle brand creator could step away from Dancing On Ice entirely and return with a different show altogether, potentially a self-titled talk show.
They explain, “Holly is still deciding on her comeback. She adores Stephen and loves working with him, plus DOI
is a show that she loves doing, but she’s still torn. She’s been considering other possibilities and is also in talks with ITV about following in the footsteps of Lorraine Kelly and doing her own self-titled talk show, which is something she’s always dreamed of.
“Having her own show would also give Holly a lot more control and she’s hoping her husband Dan could produce it as part of the deal, giving her a greater sense of security, as well as the added bonus of having him there for extra support.
“Holly’s determined to prove that she can overcome all the challenges she’s faced, she’s got a lot of fighting spirit. She won’t let the past destroy her future.”
